This could appear as a paradox and yet… according to a survey conducted by the wall street journalbuying a connected device is very far from being synonymous with connecting it to the internet.
Simple laziness, a desire to have your privacy respected or even a change of modem, there are many reasons that can explain such disaffection.
The more time passes, the more the devices offered for sale are connected.
Gone seems to be the time when, between two guitar riffs, Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits recounted the arrival of modern kitchens, color televisions and other household appliances such as microwave ovens in ” Money for Nothing “. However, almost 40 years later, going to the next level with connected devices, especially on the side of household appliances, is anything but a simple transition according to the wall street journal.
In fact, according to an LG spokesperson interviewed by the American media, between 80% and 90% of the products offered for sale by the firm are connected. Consequently, potential buyers would not really have a choice when making their purchase, since the market increasingly tends to offer almost exclusively connected products.
However, less than 50% of LG customers then connect their product to the internet. This therefore goes in the direction of a purchase that is above all centered on the expectation of the function of the product when the connectivity of the latter appears as a simple gadget. For example, when buying a connected dishwasher, the primary goal is to get clean dishes before managing off-peak washing cycles remotely using your smartphone.
The connected home is progressing, but not that much.
Thus, on the side of Whirlpool, a spokesperson claims for his part more than 50% of the brand’s devices compatible and connected to the internet, without giving further details. In any case, even if the management of the place of living remotely is increasingly facilitated, it does not seem to be a priority for a large majority of households.
The real goal of the companies that sell these connected devices is to obtain data on how their products are used. This is used, among other things, to improve them but also to offer additional subscriptions as needed. However, this may not appeal to all customers. On the other hand, some people know how to manage on their own to know when to change the water filter in their fridge without having to receive a notification on their smartphone.
Note also that some buyers simply forget to connect their device to the internet or change modems in the meantime without reconnecting the products immediately. The number of improvement factors towards a fully connected home illustrates the long road ahead for companies wishing to sell their products to you.
Sources: Le Figaro , Canada Today
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